Many of the photos in this newsletter were taken by students just like you and entered in our 2010 Photo Contest. Check out our websitefor details on how you can enter this year's contest.

Hawks Abroad

Fall 2011

Greetings!

Congratulations!

You're finally overseas and all of the paperwork and packing has paid off. You've probably attended a "disorientation" program at your site, made a few social errors while communicating with the locals, and you're realizing that you are no longer in Iowa City. That's GOOD! That's why you went!

Our office will be sending you periodic updates on stuff going on State-side, and offering some tips and advice on how to make the most of your time abroad. In the meantime, you might want to review the information on our pages for students abroad, and also the cultural adjustment information we went over during pre-departure orientation.

Photo & Writing Contests

Photo by Kari Turner (Trondheim, Norway)

The Office for Study Abroad sponsors an annual photo & essay contest, with cash prizes given for the best photo and the best essay by a study abroad student. The deadline for entries is Friday, Oct. 7. The Returnees section of our website provides details. If you've taken a photograph that sums up the place you are living now, or written a journal entry that is insightful and interesting, please consider entering the contests.

We want your photos (no contest)

The large-screen television mounted on the wall of the Office for Study Abroad Resource Room continuously scrolls through photos taken by UI students who have studied abroad. If you have some shots to share but don't feel like entering the photo contest, please go ahead and e-mail your favorite picture to us. We'll include it in our slideshow.

UI Abroad Facebook page

Here's a way to connect with other UI students overseas and again when you are back on campus. Please click the link below to join us, or search Facebook for "University of Iowa Study Abroad."

Cooking Overseas

Photo by Kaitlyn Williams (Paris, France)

Whether you are already an accomplished cook or just learning some basic recipes, our pages about cooking abroad are full of information and tips that you can apply in your host country. Maybe you have always lived in the dorms here in Iowa City and this is the first time you've had to cook for yourself. Or maybe you're used to eating at restaurants but find that your dollar doesn't go as far overseas as you thought it would. You can eat healthier and less expensively if you cook for yourself, and these pages tell you how.

Diversity resources

Studying abroad presents opportunities to think about identity in a new cultural context. This can be a rewarding learning experience that challenges preconceived notions about identity. Our web pages dedicated to diversity resources are intended to help facilitate the broad participation of a diverse range of students, some of whom are traditionally underrepresented on study abroad programs.

Please see our student reflections on race & ethnicity abroad, LGBT identity abroad, disabilities abroad, and first-generation & non-traditional students abroad. If you are inspired to write a reflection for our page, please contact study abroad advisor Autumn Tallman, who would love to hear from you.

Meanwhile, back on the farm

Local and University News

Photo courtesy Daily Iowan

Downtown Iowa City's Bruegger's Bagels burns

In the early morning hours of Sept. 24, 12 fire departments converged on Iowa Avenue to put out a blaze that would destroy Bruegger's Bagels, a popular student eatery, along with the apartment building above the bagel bakery. There were no significant injuries reported as the fire completely ravaged the building at 225 Iowa Ave. The Red Cross based in Cedar Rapids was assisting people in need by providing clothes for those who lost their belongings, as well as securing hotel rooms for those requiring them.

Surrounding businesses are also facing hard times following the intense efforts to contain the fire. Takanami restaurant was lucky to only receive minor water damage. The Yacht Club also sustained significant water and smoke damage, with repair costs estimated to be tens of thousands of dollars. Many firefighters worked through the night to try and salvage what they could, but in the end the fire was just too powerful to save everything.

The Hawkeyes have had their moments this year, some good and others not quite impressive. With a record of 3-1 in nonconference play, expectations have changed following an overtime loss to Iowa State in Ames.

In the recent contest at home against Pitt it appeared that the "heart attack Hawkeyes" had returned. To pull off a stunning win the Hawkeyes got an impressive finish from quarterback James Vandenberg. Vandenberg threw 3 touchdowns and scored one on the ground all in the final 18 minutes of the game. Prospects for a win looked dim well into the second half, before Vandenberg exploded onto the scene with a monster fourth quarter. In his postgame interview he gave credit to former Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi for helping him keep his poise when the game was not going in the Hawkeyes' favor.

The win was impressive and the Hawkeyes rode the momentum to a big, 45-17 victory this past weekend in Iowa City against the University of Louisiana-Monroe. Kirk Ferentz and company will open up their Big Ten Conference play with a matchup in Happy Valley against Penn State on October 8th.

Sally Mason has a modest proposal

Sally Mason lobbied the Iowa Board of Regents for a 4% increase in funding for the upcoming fiscal year. Mason went before the Board of Regents in the hopes of getting an allocation of $621 million dollars for higher education. The move is coming after Mason claims to have lost 25% in appropriations in the past 2 1/2 years alone.

The University of Iowa president deemed the proposal as "modest" although a researcher tracking higher education funding from Illinois State University, James Palmer, believes that "modesty" is in the eye of the beholder. According to this Daily Iowan article, Palmer believes state appropriations depend on the specific economic and political circumstances of individual states.

Sally Mason put her best foot forward in front of the Board of Regents, and now it will be up to the Iowa State Legislature to determine if it can afford to distribute more money towards higher education and the Board of Regents.

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National News

President Obama has a new plan

President Barack Obama released a new tax plan, dubbed the "Buffett Rule" for billionaire businessman and philanthropist Warren Buffet. The plan is supposed to cut approximately $3.6 trillion from the U.S. deficit.

In accordance with the proposed plan, revenue would be made through an altering of tax brackets in order to increase the burden on the exceptionally wealthy. Also targeted will be large corporations in energy and the previously introduced tax on private jet owners. Other revenue will come from decreasing spending on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, although it remains to be seen if conflict in Libya will mean an increase in spending there.

Republicans and Democrats appear to be at odds concerning the tax bracket changes, but there is agreement that changes need to be made to the structuring of Medicaid and Medicare. The proposed plan is a big step towards decreasing the deficit, but following the struggles between the two parties during the summer to reach budget agreements, it will probably be a bumpy road through Congress for the new bill.

Republican presidential hopefuls faced off Sept. 22 in another debate, this one in Orlando, Florida. The usual hot topics dominated the discussion: Health care reform, gays serving in the military, the deficit, and the economy. In an article the next day, the Washington Post weighed in with its view of the debate's big winners - and big losers.

Comments and suggestions about Hawks Abroad are welcome. Please contact the Office for Study Abroad by e-mail or phone +319-335-0353.